The Portland daily press., 1887-10-15

figure largely in the current history Of Cen
trail Africa. Fifteen years ago, when Living
stone was writing his Last Journals" he
told how Said-bin-Habu was fighting
against King Miranda, the powerful native
enemy of the Arabs. He described Tippu
lib as carrying things with high hand,
insisting that all the chiefs within his reach
would send their ivory to him and putting one
chief in chains who had refused to give him
monopoly Of his trade. The two Zanzibar
traders then lived east Of Tanganyika, and
they did not posses half the wealth and in
tiuence they attained later, when they cross
ed Tanganyika and pushed their enterprises
far aield to Nyangwe and Stanley Falls, 500
miles from the scene Of their earlier exploits.
These two powerful traders, then, are pit
ted against each other in the battle Of civili-
zation against slavery. If Tippu lib remains
true to his pledges 10 put down the slave
trade in the district he Is TO govern we may
expect any day to hear exciting news from
Stanley Falls. All we know as yet Is that,
owing to the sudden and unexpected return
OF Tippu lib TO Stanley Falls, only part of
1000 adherents land soldiers there, and he
does not feel strong enough at present to
exert all the force needed TO compel the sub
mission of the slave dealers. He has there
fore, asked the Congo State to send him
small force of soldiers and two European Of
licers, whose advice and announcement he
thinks will greatly assist him during the first
months Of his new undertaking.
Many Of the Zanzibaris at Staley Falls are
Tippu This own people, and they, of course,
have yielded obedience TO his wishes. But
when he left the falls, over a year ago, he
took with him up the river a large part of
his force. who have since been carrying on
his ivory trade at Kasongo, nearly 400 miles
south Of the falls. When he left Zanzibar
with Stanley last spring for the Congo he
sent some of his people overland TO KasongO
70 give notice Of his new plans. When the
news reaches Kasong0 1t Is probable that a
H.. j. 1.G T. rNFH.
lib at Stanley Falls, and he will then be-
strong enough to make himself master Of
the situation. KasOngo is the little city that
Tippu lib has built in Central Africa. 1t
owes its Importance solely to the fact that it
Is the centre of his enterprises. Lieut.. Glee-
rup, who visited the town a year ago last
spring, says 1t occupies a lovely valley, few
miles from the Congo 1t has 5000 inhabit-
ants, rectangular streets, and q number Of
stone and cement buildings, and Gleerup
calls the residence OF Tippu lib, which II
quilt Of stone, two-stories tigh. and covers a
large area, vast and magnificent building
DR.: LEM wrote last year that the influence
OF Tippu lib was far greater thI oughout all
the upper Congo region than that of the Con-
go State. IL was Tippu lib who disarmed
the natives Tor 100 miles along both banks of
the Congo when the tribes near Stanley Falls
tried to light him soon after his first arrival
there. He simply sent him 1000 soldiers,
armed with guns, along the river. DESTROYED
every Implement OF warfare he could find,
and threatened to put TO death any native
who was caught with weapons in his hands.
THE natives" wrote DR. Lenz, are now
incapable of any resistance"
Stanley Falls is the centre Of large popula-
tion of fishermen. The natives catch enor-
nous quantities of fish, which they barter
with other tribes for agricultural or other
products. On the large island where the
buildings Of the White station were burned
by the Arabs last year, TipDu lib has rees-
tablished the headquarters of the Congo
State. Will he prove worthy of the trust re-
posed in him? viii he, il need be, engage
in warfare with his countrymen, his brother
Mohammedans, his former friends? Time
alone can tell. Stanley has the fullest cOnfis
dence in him, and in the last letter he wrote
before starting on the last stage of his Jour
ney to Wadelai the explorer said he believed
Tippu lib would be perfectly faithful and
would prove to be the best Governor who
could be found for the district Of Stanley
Falls.